That One Time When
by artsc
Summary: Beca, Chloe, and Aubrey work a small restaurant together. Chloe spends her spare time watching Beca in the kitchen, and Beca spends her spare time staring at the postcards of where she wants to travel. Totally based off of the Cups music video. T for language.
1. Chapter 1

"Chloe."

"Hm?"

"You're doing it again."

"Hm?"

"Chloe."

"Hm?"

"Chloe!"

"Oh, right, sorry." Chloe blushed and grabbed her pad of paper from under the counter. "Sorry, just, um, tired. That's all."

Aubrey rolled her eyes and drummed her fingers on the counter. When she saw a customer approaching, she nodded and went to check on her tables.

Beca wiped her forearm across her forehead and stared at the ball of dough in front of her. She plunged her fists into the misshapen ball. She had to lean forward to be able to push hard enough. Being as short as she was, it was hard to get good leverage while kneading.

But as she began to roll out the dough, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Beca focused in her job, though. Biscuits had to be made. She went about cutting biscuits with her plastic cup.

Chloe handed the customer his order. Three biscuits, a brownie, and a corned beef sandwich. Three napkins, two knives, and a fork. Paper bag with the receipt stapled at the top. A smile and a friendly wave. Aubrey's orders were law, but they kept the place running.

Without wasting a second, Chloe dashed to her stool by the order window. She watched the metal tray that she had perched on the counter. Beca's reflection was warped, but Chloe didn't mind. She saw Beca working tirelessly over the flour-coated table.

As soon as the door opened, though, Chloe was up and ready to take another order. That's what it's like running take-out orders and the bakery counter. But the woman who walked in went to the battered podium, where Aubrey got her a menu and led her to a table.

Chloe smiled to herself and went back to her stool. Beca was leaning over another ball of dough, and her v-neck shirt was positioned just so. Chloe looked on shamelessly at Beca's reflection.

"Chloe, we're closing up!" Aubrey knocked on the counter, jolting Chloe out of her trance.

"Got it. I'll help clear up the kitchen," Chloe said. Every day at closing, it was her job to help Beca clean up the kitchen while Aubrey got the dining room back in order.

"Grab the roll of paper towels. I'm gonna wipe down the table." Beca immediately busied herself wiping the remaining flour off of the table. Chloe followed behind her with a wet paper towel in one hand and a dry rag in the other.

Wet towel, dry rag. Wipe flour, wet table, dry rag. Aubrey's orders. Out of habit, neither of them talked. Even though they had worked together for two years now, they barely spoke with each other. But it was a comfortable silence, one that each privately looked forward to.

Wipe flour, wet towel, dry rag.

Chloe moved on to cleaning the floor. Sweep, mop, let dry. Routines held the place together.

Chloe chuckled to herself while she was hunched over the mop, scrubbing at a particularly difficult stain.

"What?" Beca wasn't used to being left out of things in her own space.

"Nothing, nothing."

"Really, what?"

"I can feel you staring at my ass."

Beca froze.

"Um, what? No, I- shit, what are you talking about?" Beca nervously tugged at the edge of her shirt.

"Wow, you really do get scared easily," Chloe laughed, standing up. "Don't worry, relax."

Beca felt her face burn red still. She turned to put away the trays that had been drying to not look at Chloe for a minute.

"You guys almost done in there?" Aubrey called out from the front of the small restaurant. "Chloe, keys are on the counter. Lock up when you're done."

"Alright, see you tomorrow," Chloe said back. "I think we're done, don't you?" She looked around the kitchen. The windows let in enough light so that they almost never had the lights on, and the walls were crowded with ingredients and spare silverware. In a corner, a few postcards were taped to the wall, from places all around the world. It was a tradition they had there. When they wanted to go somewhere, they would put up a postcard. When they went, they would take it down. Problem was, they never went to any of the places.

"Yeah. Want some coffee or something before you head out? We have some left over," Beca asked, already grabbing two mugs from the drying rack next to the sink.

"Sure. I'll grab a few of the biscuits from this morning's batch, too." Chloe disappeared through the door that led behind the counter, and returned a minute later with two biscuits and a handful of napkins. "I've always been a fan of your biscuits."

"Okay…" Beca said, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I realize that sounds weird." Chloe blushed and inadvertently glanced at the low cut of Beca's shirt. "Anyways, you make really good biscuits. That's some very lucky dough."

Beca smiled with pity until Chloe processed what she said.

"I know. Don't even say it." Chloe grinned and stirred her coffee. It was nice talking with Beca, if only she could go five seconds without making an innuendo.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello! Sorry this took so long to update. More chapters will come faster once this month is over. Anyways, thanks for the great response so far!_

* * *

The bell on the door jingled lightly when Chloe opened it the next morning. She was usually the first one there, and this day was no different.

But then she smelled biscuits baking.

She walked to her stool and sat down. Beca's reflection darted in and out of sight.

"_When I'm gone, when I'm gone, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone._"

The sound was so light and delicate. It filled the room, but it was small. It had power, but it had so much longing and regret. Chloe was mesmerized. It was unlike any other sound she had heard before.

She glanced over to the stereo in the corner behind the counter. It was off. One of Aubrey's CD cases still sat on top of it, untouched since last night when she put it there.

"_You're gonna miss me by my hair, you're gonna miss me everywhere. You're gonna miss me when I'm gone._"

The timer rang out from the kitchen, and the song was temporarily stalled. There was a clatter of metal trays, then the song picked up again.

"_I got my ticket for the long way 'round, the one with the prettiest of views. It's got mountains, it's got rivers, it's got sights to give you shivers, but it sure would be prettier with you._"

"Beca?" Chloe cautiously opened the kitchen door and found Beca piling biscuits onto a plate. "Hey."

"Holy shit! What- when did you- did you?" Beca stumbled through her words. She dropped the two biscuits she was holding back onto the tray and clenched her fists nervously. "You- you're going to give me a heart attack one of these days."

"Good morning to you, too," Chloe replied casually. "Were you just singing?"

Beca bit her lip and looked around the room. The door was too far away for her to run to; Chloe would definitely catch her first. The windows were still locked, so they were no escape. Chloe stepped forward.

"Well?" Chloe crossed her arms and leaned her hip against the table.

"I'm not doing this. Go get the display ready." Beca slid the plate of biscuits across the table to Chloe, who ignored them.

"I'm not leaving until you sing."

Beca was tempted to stay silent. They way Chloe stood there, surrounded by flour and dirty pots, the morning light hitting her red hair just enough to make it glow, was a sight to behold. Beca didn't mind the threat of seeing that all day.

"This is ridiculous," Beca sighed, fiddling with some extra dough.

"Yeah, it is," Chloe said, looking out the windows that rimmed the top of the wall. "So…"

Beca closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.

"_When I'm gone, when I'm gone, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone. You're gonna miss me by my walk, you're gonna miss me by my talk, oh. You're gonna miss me when I'm gone._"

Chloe grinned like a madman. Her slightly manic expression made Beca falter, but Chloe picked up the song.

"_I got my ticket for the long way 'round, two bottles of whiskey for the way. And I sure would like some sweet company, and I'm leaving tomorrow, what'd you say?_"

In the otherwise silent restaurant, two voices collided and mingled, leaving a trail of honest words behind the guarded melody.

The bell on the front door jingled, shocking Beca and Chloe into silence.

"Hello?" Aubrey walked into the restaurant and heard her CD playing. "Chloe?"

"Yeah, I'm in back. Be out in a sec," Chloe called out from the kitchen. Before leaving, she smiled at Beca and grabbed a plate of biscuits for the display.

"Hey, after work, you want to maybe hang out? I, uh, we can get dinner or something?" Beca's face turned red as she asked. She wondered how much she could embarrass herself in one day, and silently cursed herself for providing even more time for embarrassment.

"Sure, I'd like that," Chloe said. "Want to see a movie?"

"Um, how about something else? Like scour my past for more embarrassment? We can get that out of the way sooner rather than later," Beca chuckled, pulling a bag of flour out from under the table. "Alright, I got to make some muffins for the morning rush."

Chloe left the kitchen and claimed her spot behind the counter. Aubrey was setting out rolls of silverware and empty cups.

"I'm gonna put in that CD, cool?" Chloe asked, reaching for the stereo.

"Yeah, go for it." Aubrey didn't stop her work as she spoke. "I think you're going to like this one, it's got a nice feel to it."

Chloe popped the disc out of its case and slid it into the CD slot. After a few seconds, a simple guitar tune started playing.

_I'm on my way from misery to happiness today. I'm on my way to what I want from this world. And years from now you'll make it to the next world._


	3. Chapter 3

"Beca, we need more help on the floor. Can you take those tables?" Aubrey pointed at three crowded tables along the wall, all filled with teenagers.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes."

Beca rolled her eyes and grabbed a notepad. With a look through the order window, she made her way to the least crowded table to start.

_And everything that you receive up yonder, is what you gave to me the day I wandered._

The CD played constantly, providing a steady beat to work to.

Table, order, counter, water, food, drink, bill, tip, repeat. Drink refills somewhere in there. Fake smiles, real smiles, and witty chatting with talkative customers.

With every other step, Beca felt herself walking in the wrong direction. Either that, or digging a rut she wouldn't be able to climb out of. She wasn't sure which was worse, being stuck or going backwards.

The song reminded her of the one she was singing before. The songs had the same longing quality to them. If only Aubrey hadn't chosen it, Beca would have put in the effort to learn the lyrics.

Between making the food and delivering it, Beca exchanged awkward eye contact moments with Chloe. They eventually grew into a competition, to see who could make the weirder face with no one noticing. No words were exchanged, but it was understood. Once, Chloe held up two biscuits to her chest, nearly making Beca choke on air.

"I told you I like your biscuits," Chloe whispered as Beca walked by, before taking a large bite out of one.

Again, Beca nearly died.

Lucky for them, Aubrey was busy handling most of the tables, not to mention the unusually large number of small children clearly aggravating her.

"Need a hand?" Beca asked, sliding between Aubrey and a running kid before they could collide.

"Thanks. By the way, do you like the new music?"

"Yeah, yeah. Cool. Okay, I'm gonna finish up these orders, can you handle yourself to not kill any children?"

"Maybe."

With that reassuring answer, Beca returned to one of the tables to take drink orders.

Although her usual setup wasn't working while Beca was on the floor, Chloe found Beca to be even more distracting. She almost missed two customers by being lost in her thoughts, and she had to remind herself not to stare to obviously. Without her makeshift mirror, though, Chloe was hopelessly conspicuous.

When the rush finally slowed down, Beca returned to the kitchen. Chloe was happy with the return to normality, but she was disappointed with the distorted reflection she had to settle for after seeing Beca right in front of her.

/

Closing came again, albeit too soon for Beca, who was still waiting for the leftover dough to finish baking so that she could bring it home. As she waited, she put away the stuff that had accumulated on the table over the course of the day. Unfortunately, one of the flour bags ran up against a knife, and flour fell.

"Shit."

Beca stepped back, but only after getting thoroughly doused on flour.

"Everything okay back there?" Aubrey asked, already half way out the door.

"Yeah, I think. Chloe, can I have a hand?"

"I'll grab a broom," Chloe said, heading towards the kitchen.

"Well, one more embarrassment today to top it off, right?" Beca started scooping some flour into the trashcan, and Chloe joined in with the broom.

"After we get this cleaned up, you should get yourself cleaned up. Then why don't you stop by my house and we can figure out something to do?" Chloe, being her typical slightly oblivious self, didn't catch Beca's face turn just slightly red.

"Yeah, um, that sounds good."

/

Beca rushed back to her apartment and changed clothes, trembling the entire time. The thought of returning to Chloe shook her in a way she hadn't felt before. It was, to say the least, somewhat exciting, having plans with someone who was so…bright.

_I better have something witty to say when I get there_, Beca thought to herself as she walked down the street.

There was something right about walking to meet Chloe. The sun was still bright. Summer was in full swing, and the air was beginning to cool down.

The song cycled through her head.

_I walked the streets to find the one I'd looked for,_

_I climbed the stair that led me to your front door._

Regardless of her intentional hesitation to learn the lyrics, they stuck.

_I'm on my way, from misery to happiness today._

The white, paneled door seemed to approach her. The house was nice. Two stories, small garage, and what looked like a garden pulled together the clean look. With a silent pep talk, Beca reached out and rapped her knuckles against the wood.

No answer.

She tried again.

Again, no answer.

She leaned over the porch railing to look into the window, but the curtains were drawn.

_Maybe she forgot_… Beca mused, not sure if she was relieved or not.

Steps and stumbles sounded through the door, followed by a click. The door swung open, with Chloe wrapped in a towel behind it.

"I- uh- sorry, give me a second, come on in," Chloe stammered.

"Cool, no problem. Don't freeze yourself," Beca said, entering the house. "Is this a bad time?"

"No, I was in the shower, and I lost track of time. Fun fact, I really like bathrooms." Chloe rocked back and forth on her feet and watched the water pool under her.

"Understood. Get changed, dry off," Beca encouraged, gently pushing Chloe towards the staircase just behind them.

Beca's hand met Chloe's bare shoulder. The clash of warm and cold skin brought a smile to Chloe's face, but Beca turned away, still getting over the fact that only two minutes into her endeavor, she had already had enough excitement to last quite a while.

Exactly five minutes and eight seconds later, Chloe came back down, fully clothed. Turns out Beca watched clocks when she was nervous.

"So, I was thinking we could either hang around here, or go out to grab something to eat. Which one?" Chloe jumped right into making plans. She loved having a destination in some way; it gave her something to look forward to. Even if it was only in ten minutes.

"I'm going to be honest, if I have to spend even five more minutes in a restaurant I'll kills someone," Beca joked. "Shall we scavenge?"

"How did you know my favorite thing to do?" Chloe feigned shock and led the way to her kitchen.


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh my God…"  
Beca stared into the pantry. Chip bags were piled up like bricks. Cereal boxes filled one whole shelf. Canned fruit and vegetables lined the bottom, and a stockpile of chocolate products filled the middle.

"Huh?"

"This is amazing," Beca whispered, beginning to dig through the mass of food.

"Don't forget I have a fridge, too."

"This is sufficient."

/

Various bags of chips landed on the coffee table, followed by two packs of chocolate pudding and a six-pack of beer. Beca and Chloe started out sitting on the couch, but soon found the food too far away.

Without saying anything, Beca slid off of the couch and onto the floor.

"I think you've had one beer too many," Chloe teased, following Beca's lead.

"Nope," Beca replied, holding up her unopened bottle. "I'm just always like this. When I'm drunk, I'm normal."

"I guess we'll see, then." Chloe reached over and twisted the cap off of Beca's bottle.

"Impressive. This means I should keep you around."

"Just a little something I picked up during my drunken musician phase, but that's a story for another time…" Chloe trailed off, leaving Beca thoroughly confused. "How about you? Any weird stuff you picked up besides suspicious food from that food truck that always sits outside the restaurant?"

"First, that food is quality shit. Shit, but quality shit." Beca laughed, unashamed at the fact that it was her own joke. "Well, I went through an obsession with leaving everything behind to go on an adventure. I learned as many songs on the guitar as possible. The guitar was crap, but it worked."

Chloe was silent for a minute. Beca continued eating, unaware of Chloe's brain working to remember something.

Two cups of pudding later, Beca noticed.

"What's up?"

"I'll be right back." Chloe stood up and strode across the room towards the closet on the other end. Beca was ashamed of herself for enjoying the view, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

Chloe turned around, wielding a beaten-up acoustic guitar. The pick guard was scratched and chipped. Every string was fraying at the end. Even the body, which was in decent shape, showed signs of drops and what looked like a key scratching of a chord on the side of the fret board.

Beca's fingers naturally arranged themselves into chords as she ran an old song through her head. Chloe set the guitar on Beca's lap, and Beca's fingers seamlessly transferred to the instrument.

_10,000 miles to take me home _

_I don't belong out here alone at sea _

_10,000 miles ain't that far _

_When it's over and done _

Beca held in the next line and switched songs.

_I text a postcard sent to you,_

_ Did it go through?_

Again she held in the next line and switched songs.

_And everything that you receive up yonder_

_ Is what you gave to me the day I wandered._

"Man, I can't believe I remember those after all this time," Beca said, setting the guitar aside, the strings still ringing.

"Why did you switch around so much?"

There were a lot of answers. All of them were correct, but only one came out.

"Just seeing of I remembered the chords." Didn't want to sing potentially romantic lyrics. Didn't want to seem like she thought too much about each song. Wanted to stay lighthearted.

In her mind, Beca ran through the other lyrics. _There's nothing but you and me. Sending all my love to you. __You are the moonlight of my life every night. Giving all my love to you. My beating heart belongs to you. I walked for miles 'til I found you. I'm here to honor you, if I lose everything in the fire; I'm sending all my love to you._


	5. Chapter 5

_I'm so sorry this took so long to update! I had finals, then got my drivers license, and now Camp Nano. Anyways, here it is!_

* * *

Beca still found flour in the corners of the kitchen. Aubrey graciously granted her the task of getting every last particle that wasn't in a bag or part of the food. Although if it was possible to siphon excess flour out of the biscuits, Beca was sure Aubrey would have had her do it, just to keep her busy enough so that she couldn't mess anything up.

Chloe watched Beca with the tray, as usual. A few times, Beca glanced up. It seemed like they made eye contact, but Chloe pushed that thought out of her mind.

/

The tray was so conveniently placed. Beca noticed it a few days ago, when a shirt flash of color caught her eye.

Then she noticed that she could see Chloe in it. Every time Beca was positioned in a way that she could see it, she almost forgot that she had an actual job to do.

_I'm such a perv,_ she thought. _I really need to stop._

/

_I'm such a perv,_ Chloe though to herself when she caught herself looking, once again, at Beca's low-hanging v-neck.

/

At the end of the day, Aubrey brought a postcard to the kitchen and taped it up next to the others.

_Greetings form Chicago!_

The roll of masking tape was shrinking.

_New York City- Center of the Universe!_

Berlin. Orlando. Atlanta. Cleveland. London.

Beca didn't say a word. She saw the ink that bled through some of the postcard, like many of the others.

The postcards overlapped each other, with the first one, from Boston, almost completely covered up. Once Aubrey left, Beca took a closer look at the growing collection.

Norway. Dallas. France.

Cities, countries, even small towns staked a claim on the wall.

Beca had all of them memorized. She imagined going there, but stopped herself whenever Chloe entered her thoughts.

_When I'm gone…_

_ You're gonna miss me when I'm gone…_

The song ran through her head as she went about her work.

Three trays of biscuits, four loaves of bread, a new batch of soup, and a lot of iced tea. The orders piled in.

She didn't notice the constant ringing of the bells that rang when the door was opened. She didn't notice the sudden quiet, or the shuffling whispers of the broom.

The only thing she noticed was the bobbing mass of red that made her smile every time it flitted past the door.

_This is it,_ Beca thought. _Time to make a move._

"Chloe?"

"Yeah?"

"How about you come over to my place after we close up?"

"Sure!"

Mission accomplished.

/

_Deep breaths. That's it._

"I- uh, you usually walk, so, um, want a ride?"

_Fuck, that was hard._

"Sounds like a plan. Just give me a second, I have to grab something."

Chloe walked around the counter, took out a plate of cookies, and dumped them into a take-out bag.

"Really?"

"Yes," Chloe said, already eating one.

/

"Ant."

"Nope."

"Gnome."

"No way."

"Bug."

"Nada."

"Bean."

"Yeah, no."

"Come on, we need a nickname for you." Chloe was on her second whiskey, the Beca's House Specialty, and was determined to come up with a nickname. Again, the carpeted floor was the choice of location.

"How about you?"

"That's easy," Chloe said, "I'm Red. Or Chlo. Or Sex Legend."

"I think it works better if other people give them to you, you know," Beca said, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, really? You think other people haven't said it?"

"I do think that."

Chloe grinned and kicked Beca's leg, almost spilling her drink.

They laughed for a few minutes, occasionally spitting out more names and some whiskey.

"You know," Beca mumbled, trying to speak through the fog of alcohol, "I remember when I got this job, and for the entire first day, I-" Beca tried to talk over her own laughter, but succumbed to her drunken stupor.

"What? Bec, I think you're done drinking for the night."

"Nah, I- I was just gonna say, when I got my job," Beca said, pointing at Chloe, "I passed extra time listening to you take orders and stuff like that…"

Chloe gave Beca a small smile before taking the open bottle out of her hand.

"I think I'll finish this for you."

Beca slowly closed her hand, staring at the space that once held a bottle. When Chloe put it down, Beca pointed at it.

"Nope. You said you were gonna drink it, so you are, right now, otherwise I'm taking it back."

"Okay, fine."

/

"Peanut."

"What?"

"Lil bit."

"Why?"

"I'm going with Peanut."

Beca chuckled and lay against the couch. Chloe was drunk and getting more drunk on Beca's confiscated drink.

Chloe lay back and leaned her head on Beca's lap.

Through her alcoholic daze, Beca felt her face heat up and her heart speed up. Every move Chloe made, Beca felt. So Beca froze, stared straight ahead, and tried to steady her breathing.

"Peanut?"

"Yeah?"

"Congrats, you agreed to a nickname."


	6. Chapter 6

_I really liked this chapter. I thought it might be the end, but then I decided it has quite a bit more to do. So, expect at least three to four more chapters._

_Besides that, I just wanted to thank everyone for reading so far! Without further delay, here it goes._

* * *

Bright morning light broke through Beca's dysfunctional window blinds. Beca stirred, turned over, and slowly opened her eyes. She wasn't where she was supposed to be in the morning. Instead, she was on the floor of her living room with a half empty bowl of cereal a few feet away.

She rolled onto her back, ready to go back to sleep, but her shoulder bumped into something.

Beca turned to see Chloe next to her, breathing softly in her sleep.

The alarm on her phone went off, quiet enough to not actually do its job but loud enough to be heard among the usual peace of the morning.

_When I wake up, well I know I'm gonna be_

_ I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you._

"Chlo- come on, Chloe, wake up," she said, tapping Chloe's shoulder a few times.

_When I get drunk, well I know I'm gonna be_

_ I'm gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you._

"Wha- I'm up… I'm up. I think. Is that my alarm?"

"Get up, you lazy ass, or I'll… I don't know. Just get up."

It took about ten minutes for them to disentangle themselves from the legs of Beca's coffee table and the various food packages strewn around them. By the time they were fully awake and able to stand up, the sun had risen considerably more, showering the room with even more light.

The clock Beca kept by her door started to ring.

"Shit, shit, shot, work. We gotta go, dude."

Beca ran around her house, grabbing whatever clean clothes she could find, all the while directing Chloe to the bathroom and trying to make two pieces of toast.

"Toothbrush?"  
"Extras in the cabinet, top left shelf. Toothpaste on the counter, there should be some paper cups somewhere in there."

As Beca directed, she ran through what she could remember of the night before.

Chloe. Yeah, there was Chloe.

An image flashed before her eyes, and suddenly she remembered it all.

That explained the clothes lying around and the general disheveled nature of the room.

/

_"B-b… BECA!"_

_ Beca winced and covered her ears._

_ "Ya know, you realllllly don't need to, um, shit."_

_ "Wha?"_

_ "Ah don't know."_

_ Chloe laughed to herself as she tried to lift her body off of the floor. It didn't work out quite the way she had imagined._

_Instead, she collapsed onto Beca in a laughing fit._

_ Within minutes, Chloe was undressed and crawling on top of Beca, trying to find a comfortable way to sleep with a human mattress._

_ "Chloe, you know that-ow" Beca was cut off by Chloe's sharp elbow nestling into her shoulder. "Chloe. I have a bed."_

_ "But that's no funnn…" Chloe murmured. She struggled to keep a straight face as she curled up. "You're small."_

_ "Thanks for the update, cap'n not-small." Beca gave Chloe a small salute and reached for the blanket that was on the couch. Her fingers just barely missed the corner, and her deep breaths from her squirming forced more laughs from Chloe._

/

It was weird. Beca had never had friends like that before. It had always been a misfit compilation of boys with nothing but dirty jokes and masturbation on their minds.

Beca watched as Chloe dashed in and out of the bathroom, collecting clothes and clumsily dropping them halfway between the bathroom and where she began.

Somehow, it felt like…

Beca couldn't place the feeling, but she vowed she would return to her search after work. She could already hear Aubrey sighing in annoyance at their lateness.

Aubrey hated people who were late for being early.

/

"What took you guys so long?" Aubrey demanded, flinging the kitchen door open when she heard the bells ring. "Wait. You know what? Don't explain. Beca, get your ass in there and make food. Chloe, for gods sake, run a comb through your hair." Aubrey continued her ranting through mumbles and the occasional eye roll.

Beca and Chloe situated themselves at their assigned stations, each of them organizing for the morning rush.

/

Every time Chloe had a spare moment, she peeked through the service window at Beca. Beca caught her between two orders and smiled, making Chloe blush. Then it was Chloe who noticed Beca's reflection in the tray and how the reflection was looking right at her. Both of them gave a quick smile, looked down, and continued to work.

Aubrey watched them from her many vantage points as she served. Gears churned in her head as her over-calculating mind worked to find an explanation. Of course, she realized that she would have gotten said explanation if she let them talk earlier.

At least biscuits were on plates and the right number of forks went in each bag.

But something was different. None of them noticed how the day hung on the beams of sunlight that fell through the windows, or how the music from the stereo was just a little bit catchier, or how two nervous smiles and one baffled onlooker made an entire restaurant feel like a hidden story that spanned farther than the walls could ever hope to enclose.

The only thing they noticed was the growing number of postcards taped up on the wall.


	7. Chapter 7

_Hi! After this chapter comes some more relationship stuff, so there's something to look forward to. Thanks for all your reviews so far!_

* * *

"Get your ass into action, Chlo. If you don't, I will find a way to make it happen, and you won't like they way I make it happen." The flat tone of Aubrey's voice was nothing new to Chloe. Instead, it was reassuring.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm glad you're ready to murder someone."

A stifled laugh came from the kitchen, and Chloe resisted the urge to see the person who it came from.

But she wasn't very good at hiding that thought.

"Chloe, I'm going to respect your privacy and text this to you. But please, remember that you're still working."

/

_TEXT FROM: AUBREY- you have a major toner for beca._

_TEXT FROM: CHLOE- wtf is a toner?_

_TEXT FROM: AUBREY- musical boner. you freeze when she starts to hum and you need to work on controlling your drool._

_TEXT FROM: CHLOE- fine. talk after work. but toners still don't exist._

/

Beca fiddled with the plastic cup once she was done cutting the biscuits with it. The new CD played in the background. After getting a better feel for the tempo, Beca turned the cup over and tapped on the upturned bottom.

_You're gonna miss me when I'm gone…_

She tried to ignore Aubrey texting and Chloe's phone buzzing under the counter.

/

The last of the late evening customers left, leaving behind dirty plates and a dollar on the table.

Aubrey hung back after her time to leave.

So did Beca, although she waited in the kitchen among the postcards. Her new paycheck was tucked in her back pocket, ready to be deposited. From her secluded position in the restaurant, she could just barely hear the sounds of a hushed conversation.

/

"Chloe, what happened between you two?'

"Well, we just kind of hung out a little, and last night we were drinking and… Now I don't know where we're at any more." Chloe picked at the stain on her shirt, from when she spilled coffee the first week they were open. After that, it was determined that it would be best for her to run the counter instead of the floor.

"Just be careful, and keep everything under the counter while you're at work."

"Bree! I'm not… I don't do that here," Chloe said hurriedly. "Seriously. Just relax."

Aubrey rolled her eyes, familiar with Chloe's more personal habits.

"Fine. Go on home, you need to catch up on sleep. Don't think you can keep this up for long."

/

Beca thought the footsteps right outside the kitchen door were Chloe's, but when Aubrey charged in brandishing a butter knife, she rethought her initial excitement.

"Just keep it in your pants, Mitchell, and don't you dare think this changes the fact that this is a workplace. And don't think I didn't notice that the biscuits were darker than usual. Quality and consistency, Beca."

"You do know that I'm your only cook, right?"

"Yes. So don't make me regret it."

/

To the bank.

Beca rolled around the idea of taking Chloe to dinner, making things official, and all that, almost getting excited about it.

She didn't notice the sign in the guitar shop that advertised half off used guitars without strings. She didn't notice the front bumper of her car and how it clung to the body, one road trip away from falling off. She didn't notice the songs in her head.

She did notice her balance.

Finally enough.

Time to get the fuck out.

/

Chloe wandered around her house, checking her phone every seven and a half seconds just in case she missed her purposely extremely loud text tone. Her last text was sent ten minutes ago.

_TEXT FROM: CHLOE- hey, are you free tonite? ;)_

She had a whole plan. Beca would come over. They would listen to some music. Beca would be awkward. Chloe would make a move. Cue happy ending music.

Her fantasy was interrupted by a loud old-fashioned ringing from her phone. Beca.

_TEXT FROM: BECA- yeah, I'll come over in a few mins_

Chloe didn't notice the smile grow on her face or the sweat on her hands that made it hard for her to use her phone.

/

Beca turned the doorknob, not expecting it to be unlocked. The door swung open, and Beca stepped inside.

"Hello?"

Chloe came running around the corner, sliding on the tile floor of her kitchen and nearly tripping over the transition between tile and carpet.

"Hi…" she managed to utter between breaths. "Sorry, I was… I don't know. I was doing something. Oh, yeah, I was trying to find my old sheet music. Yeah. Okay. Anyways, hi."

"You okay?"

"Mostly." Chloe leaned against the doorframe and ran a hand through her hair. "I've just been running around the house a lot."

What she didn't say was that she was also looking for the postcard she had gotten a year ago and wanted to see if Beca wanted to take a weekend trip. Aubrey had the restaurant closed for a few days for heavy duty cleaning and maintenance, part of her three-month cycle plan, leaving Beca and Chloe with a short vacation.

Aubrey's orders were law, and they held the place together. But Aubrey didn't plan for the unintended consequences of her plans.

"What's that?" Beca asked, catching a glimpse of the paper sticking out of Chloe's back pocket. _Payback for before_, she added in her thoughts.

Chloe's sweaty hands couldn't pull it out fast enough.

The postcard from Santa Fe, with a short note from a distant friend on the back.

"We should drive out to Santa Fe for the weekend. There's tons of places to stay, and the food is fantastic, and-"

Beca's laughter cut off Chloe's rambling, resulting in a playful scowl form Chloe.

"I'd love to, but I have to clean up my apartment. But we can still hang out, if that's cool instead."

"That's fine by me," Chloe mused. She raised an eyebrow, turned to the kitchen, and led the way.


	8. Chapter 8

_So sorry for the long wait! School happened... Anyways, here it is._

* * *

Backpack: check.

Shitty car: check.

Out of tune guitar from the sketchy guitar shop: check.

Suitcase: check.

Guilt: trying not to be acknowledged.

Remorse: being avoided.

Toothpaste: check.

/

"What?"

"I'm going." Beca fidgeted with the handle of her guitar case.

"But- I thought we were… After all this time, we finally hang out, and now you're leaving?"

"Chloe, I'm sorry. I promised myself I would do this a long time ago." She held up the postcard from Chicago. "I found an apartment, and I can start playing, and get a start on my life."

The jingle of the bells startled them. Aubrey stormed up to them and grabbed the case from Beca's hand.

"You can't do this. We need a cook." Her shrill voice cut the comfortable chatter that filled the air.

"Wow. Now you admit it. Now you act like I'm more than an accident waiting to happen. Thanks, and goodbye."

Chloe watched as the bells rang yet again and the door returned to its frame, trying to block out the conversation right in front of her.

She watched Beca's hand grab the case from Aubrey's grasp. She watched heavy boots scrape along the floor.

The door opened.

Out of habit, she snapped into work mode and almost dashed back to the counter. But no one was coming in.

Beca was just leaving.

/

Beca's own mixes blared from her car stereo. Flat, green landscapes turned to suburban neighborhoods and eventually the beginnings of a bustling city. Skyscrapers towered over her beat-up car. The bustling of the city nearly drowned out her music.

So many people were walking. Beca watched them at every stoplight. Not one of them looked up or greeted someone else. The air was tainted with cigarette smoke and sewage drifting up from the drain covers. Even in the emptiest area, there was no escaping the stench.

Every block had at least one homeless person asking for money. Every other block had a musician. Every few blocks was a person asking for money to use the train, a cover story for getting their next fix.

Beca had done her research. She read the stories. She knew the bad places and the good places. She knew where not to get sushi and where to get directions. She knew how to get to the nearest recording studio and to her apartment.

But she didn't know a single person.

She found her building and parked outside. Noting the sheer amount of people, she resolved to find a parking garage somewhere later.

Before entering, she dropped a dollar in a homeless man's outreached cup.

The inside of the building was clean. The air wasn't appalling, although it was mildly disgusting. Her landlord was waiting for her with a key and directions to her apartment.

"I hope you enjoy yourself here. No pets, and laundry is on the third floor."

Beca took the key and headed towards the stairs.

"Oh, and by the way, the walls are fairly thin. Be careful."

/

Her less than spacious apartment sported a few mysterious stains on the carpet by the door. _Someone must not have obeyed the pet rule_, Beca thought.

Little by little she dragged her bags up the stairs. Her hands were red and sore by the time she was finished. But that didn't stop her from immediately unpacking her guitar and various music recording apparatuses.

She had a gig to practice for already.

/

"I'm so fucking tired of being used."

Aubrey's death glare reminded Chloe where she was.

The little kid in front of her stared open-mouthed, though, until Chloe gave him a free cookie.

"I'm just sick of being the town that people pass through instead of the one they stay at, you know? I'm sick of propping someone up then falling over when they leave."

Still, Aubrey glared at her. The new cook wasn't helping. Well, it's not like it could help all that much. It was a microwave and the leftovers from yesterday.

At least Beca had thought to make enough to have backup food.

Chloe still watched the tray from her perch behind the counter. Every flash of brown was just another overcooked batch of biscuits being thrown away by Aubrey. Each beautiful sound was just a foggy memory coming from a CD player.

She kept checking over her shoulder, hoping to see a flash of brown and hear the whirl of whatever Beca did back there. Chloe never did get a good look at what was making the mysterious beats from beyond the wall.

_TEXT FROM: BECA- hey_

_TEXT FROM: CHLOE- you left_

_TEXT FROM: BECA- yeah, I know. I'm sorry I didn' tell you, I just had to take this chance._

_TEXT FROM: CHLOE- well, that's how it goes._

Chloe wasn't one to leave a conversation cold, but there it was, in plain text on her phone screen.

_TEXT FROM: BECA- stop by if you have the chance. I want to show you something._

/

Beca shuffled through her new apartment, ignoring the grunting from the two adjacent rooms. The benefits of being up past midnight.

She still had to arrange the set for the Hullabahoos, get the Footnotes onto her side, and still manage to catch her stint at the gelato place downtown.

She avoided telling anyone about her job. It was embarrassing. She shoved it under her own music and pretended it was for the good of everyone else.

It just wasn't all that cool to arrange mash-ups for collegiate acapella groups.

Beca dug around in her unpacked junk to find the cup she "liberated" from the restaurant. After sitting on a clean patch of carpet, she tapped out the familiar beat.

/

Chloe waited until they closed up. Aubrey wouldn't mind her staying late.

But she didn't expect to see an out of place cup on the metal table in the middle of the kitchen.

Beca's song, the one that Chloe forced out of her, came through the cup. It wasn't anything special, just the rhythm. Chloe got more into it, trying to remember the second verse.

_You're gonna miss me by my walk, you're gonna miss me by my talk, oh, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone._

With a final flourish, Chloe tossed the cup in the air and caught it with the tips of her fingers. A dash of yellow caught her eye inside the cup.

"I always told Aubrey, these cups are deep enough to hold Beca in them," Chloe mused, trying to grab the unknown object from the bottom of the cup.

Paper.

And tape?

Chloe just barely got a hold of it with her fingernails and yanked it out.

_1562 5__th__ Ave._

_6:00, get something sweet_

Beca's scrawl reminded Chloe of the time Aubrey forced Beca to take orders and only Chloe could decipher what was written.

A five dollar bill was taped to the back.

Chloe peeled it off, revealing a hidden note, crossed out but still readable.

_I don't like you. I'm done with this. I_

The rest was completely covered in black ink.

/

The Hullabahoos won with Beca's set, solidifying the Footnotes as another client.

5:45

Just enough time.

5:50

The amp wasn't working.

5:55

Not a single string out of tune.

6:00

Not a single sighting of Chloe. But there was some free gelato waiting for Beca at the end of her set, so at least there was that to look forward to.


	9. Chapter 9

Chloe slid into the small space from the back. She managed to come before Beca showed up, and she had spent the last hour hiding in the dark hallway that led to the bathrooms. She kept the cup from the kitchen with her, ignoring the awkward stares from the people around her. The man behind the counter eyed her suspiciously, noting the crumpled bill Chloe carefully held wrapped around the cup. Before leaving, she had made sure to find the song Beca always sang. With a quick search, she was able to find exactly what she was looking for.

She crept out of her hiding place and ordered gelato. The man must have noticed her absent-mindedness, giving her some extra while she tried to remember where she put her money.

The table in the back was unoccupied. Chloe took advantage of the opportunity and staked her claim. She saw Beca be someone completely new, situated at the small stool in the opposite corner, playing her guitar like every strum was a heartbeat that pumped new life through her body.

/

Beca chose her favorite for last. It hurt all that much more that Chloe wasn't there to perfect the moment.

"_I got my ticket for the long way 'round_,"

Four chords. Just place the fingers right. Beca breathed loud and clear between verses, opening her throat against the tears that threatened to invade.

"_But it sure would be prettier with you_."

Clapping. Tapping. Beca shook her head as she played and sung, pushing the noise away. But it wouldn't leave.

Beca looked up, but saw a lot more hair than she was used to. Nearly every head was turned towards the back of the shop, intently watching something she couldn't see.

But the sound. It was coming from there. Beca resisted every impulse to get up and look, instead sticking with the song through the end.

Those gathered in the shop applauded, then continued with their personal conversations and whatnot. As Beca packed up, she looked around to find the source of the beat that somehow went perfectly along with the song.

Guitar in hand, Beca located her target and sat at the table.

"You came."

Chloe nodded.

"Sorry about the, um," Chloe tapped her fingers on the rim of her cup. "I didn't want to make a scene or anything."

"Are you kidding? That's all I've ever wanted. I'm… I can't believe you actually came."

"Well, don't believe it just yet. I saw your note."

Beca froze. She lost herself trying to remember what note she left in the cup.

"Well?" It could have been any of them really. It could have been the one where she said it was over, that she was leaving forever. It could be the one where she said everything. But the look on Chloe's face was so foreign, so wounded, that Beca was at a complete loss.

"You lied to me. You were just biding your time. I meant nothing to you."

Again, Beca searched her mind for what Chloe was talking about. Again, she came up with nothing.

"How did you know the cup thing?"

"Fuck, Beca, you do know the internet exists, right? You're even more dense than I thought." Chloe's face turned red, then she let out a long breath. "You know what? Thanks for the note. Now I'm happy that I didn't try to make this something it could never be."

Chloe pulled the note from her pocket and slammed it on the table. The sudden noise echoed through the small shop, catching the attention of the patrons who weren't already grossly invested in the heated discussion.

Leaving no time for Beca to respond, Chloe stormed outside. The cold air hit her face, cooling the rage that boiled in her veins.

/

"I fucked this up," Beca murmured, reading the note Chloe left behind.

"Honey,"

Something brushed against Beca's arm.

"Wha-?"

"It happens to the best of us."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to swear, it was just-"

"No, not that. The girl."

The voice came from a woman behind her, about forty years old, with a child on each side.

"Look, thanks, but it's not what you think. At least, it wasn't what I thought." Beca avoided the woman's gaze, instead taking interest in the brown-orange tiled floor. "Plus, I'm sure this is hard to explain to them," she added, finally looking up and gesturing to the kids.

"I think they might actually understand a bit more than you do right now."

The smallest of the kids, a little boy no older than eight, spoke up.

"If you messed something up, you should go fix it, even if you think the other person doesn't want you to. Because they might just feel sad and actually want things to be fixed again." The boy shrugged, turned back to the table he was sitting at before, grabbed his gelato, and returned, staring Beca down.

"Plus," added the other kid, a girl around fourteen, "if she came an hour before you even showed up, that's something that's special."

Beca looked at the mom, then at the kids, then back at the mom.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because it's hard to do what you do, and it's even harder when you think you left the most important part behind. We've all been there. Go get her." The mom smiled, reminding Beca of the years before college when she would get annoyed by her own mom's smile because it always meant that corny advice was coming.

"Thanks."

With that, Beca ran out the door, tripping over multiple pairs of feet in the process.

/

Chloe's muttered curses came out in a fog. Chicago weather was the absolute worst.

One hand held the cup, the other fumble din her pocket for the gloves she hoped she remembered to bring.

Of course, she forgot.

She leaned against the big window front of the store, tracing the shape of the blue mailbox with her eyes.

Bells rang.

Chloe snapped out of her trance.

Beca came out of the store and into the darkening night.

"That note was a mistake."

"This whole thing was a mistake."

Beca lost her breath. She searched Chloe's face for some sign that she was joking, but there was nothing.

"Can I explain?"

"Can you explain why you left Aubrey and me with no cook? Why you took a cup from our supply? Really, that's just rude." Chloe was positively steaming.

"That's not it, is it?" Beca asked, fearing the answer.

"Why you didn't tell me? Why you didn't ask me?"

"I didn't want to hurt you."

"Well, it's too late for that, isn't it?"


	10. Chapter 10

_This chapter's shorter, but the next one is an epilogue. Thanks so much for sticking with this story._

* * *

TEXT FROM: AUBREY- how'd it go?

TEXT FROM: CHLOE- bad. Ill tell u more latr.

/

"Will you put down the phone and look at me?" Beca felt like she was running into a brick wall with every attempt to get Chloe to listen.

Chloe put her phone in her pocket and looked up, then a few inches down.

"Well?"

"I crossed out stuff."

"Clearly."

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow.

"I don't like you. I'm done wasting my time. I think I might love you. I was scared. I didn't want to leave that on a note in a cup; that's something that needs to be said out loud, to your face." Beca rocked back and forth on her feet, out of breath from her confession. "Being with you, it reminds me that it's okay to be happy. I can be happy where I am, as long as I'm with you."

Beca reached out a hand, but Chloe turned away.

"I can't do this now. I have to get back to my life. Unlike you, I have to go where I'm needed."

Chloe started walking away, unsure of where to go but just wanting to get away.

"You really think Aubrey needs you?"

Chloe spun around on her heel.

"Yes, I do think she needs me. And right now, she's the only person who's stuck around when everyone else seems to have left."

"But I'm right here, now." Beca tried again to reach out to Chloe, but this time she was too far away.

"That's not enough."

/

Chloe had absolutely no plan where to go. The trains would be packed with drunkards, the busses only ran so late, and it was getting darker by the minute.

Cars rushed along the streets. People talked amongst themselves. No one noticed the redhead all alone, looking behind her every few seconds, hoping to catch a glimpse of a future passed.

/

Beca's guitar was quickly packed away, and the amp was loaded into the car. Her apartment with its suspicious stains waited, cooled off by the unnecessary air conditioning.

As she walked, she thought. It wasn't the kind of thinking that came with idle activity, though. She thought, for the first time, about being content. In all her life, she had been trying to get away from one thing, trying to get towards that greater goal. But now that she was on track, something was missing.

/

Chloe turned around one last time, just managing to still see Beca walking away. She quickly followed, careful not to give her position away.

/

The door's lock was always a little stuck. Beca pushed at the door as much as she could, twisting the key back and forth. Finally, the door burst open and Beca was inside.

"Um, Beca?"

Beca didn't want to turn around. The vicious cycle had begun.

"Beca, I don't have anywhere to go. You're right, Aubrey doesn't need me around, at least not right now. I'm okay to just be for now."

"Remember that one time when I said you'd give me a heart attack one day? And that one time when I told you I was leaving?'

"Yeah," Chloe mused, unsure of what was coming.

"I wasn't sure either time whether one was good or bad. I can't keep this fucking song out of my head, and I can only think that maybe you're a part of that. I want you to break me. I want you to surprise me every day, and I want to take you with me when I leave. I don't want to be anywhere if it means I lose you. It's crazy, we've only really become friends in the last few weeks, but I'm finally at the place in my life where I'm ready to stop sprinting. I'm okay with ambling if it's with you." Beca finally turned around, stepped back, and let Chloe come in. "I sound so ridiculous."

"I bet I did, too, back there," Chloe said, smirking.

A few seconds passed in silence. Beca rocked back and forth; Chloe followed suit. When the standstill got to be too much for Chloe, she walked over to the couch and sat down. Beca followed, still amazed at the woman next to her.

"Beca."

"Hm?"

"You're doing it again."

"What?"

"I can feel you staring at my ass."


End file.
